A Swiss study refutes the popular belief that testosterone, the male hormone par excellence, generates aggressiveness and self-centeredness in men.
According to a study by the University of Zurich in Switzerland published by the journal Nature , testosterone "induces antisocial behavior in humans, but more because of our own prejudices about its effects than because of actual biological activity." In fact, according to the team led by Professor Ernst Fehr, "the effect is rather the opposite: testosterone increases the ability to discern fairly and fairly."
To reach this conclusion, the researchers divided 120 subjects into two groups: one was given a 0.5-milligram dose of testosterone and the rest a placebo. By subjecting them to a behavioral experiment in which they had to negotiate with certain sums of money, they observed that those who received testosterone generally behaved in a more balanced way, had less conflict and performed better in a social environment. However, the subjects who thought that the levels of testosterone in their body had increased even if it was not true, showed a more conflictive behavior than those who believed that they had ingested the placebo. ? It is not testosternone that induces aggressiveness, but the myth – the negative and antisocial connotation – that surrounds this hormone ?, the researchers conclude.
